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Estonia national football team facts for kids

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Estonia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Sinisärgid (Blueshirts) Kalevipojad
Association Estonian Football Association
(Eesti Jalgpalli Liit – EJL)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Jürgen Henn
Captain Karol Mets
Most caps Konstantin Vassiljev (158)
Top scorer Andres Oper (38)
Home stadium Lilleküla Stadium
FIFA code EST
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 96 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 47 (March 2012)
Lowest 137 (October 2008)
Elo ranking
Current 86 Decrease 7 (3 March 2019)
Highest 51 (August 1927, September 1929, 6 August 1930)
Lowest 175 (August 1995 to May 1996)
First international
 Finland 6–0 Estonia 
(Helsinki, Finland; 17 October 1920)
Biggest win
 Estonia 6–0 Lithuania 
(Tallinn, Estonia; 26 July 1928)
 Gibraltar 0–6 Estonia 
(Faro, Portugal; 7 October 2017)
Biggest defeat
 Finland 10–2 Estonia 
(Helsinki, Finland; 11 August 1922)
 Germany 8–0 Estonia 
(Mainz, Germany; 11 June 2019)
Baltic Cup
Appearances 27 (first in 1928)
Best result Champions
(1929, 1931, 1938, 2020, 2024)
Website jalgpall.ee

The Estonia men's national football team is the official football team that represents Estonia in international matches. It is managed by the Estonian Football Association. The team's home stadium is Lilleküla Stadium in Tallinn, the capital city.

Estonia played its very first match against Finland in 1920, losing 6–0. The team has only been to the Olympic Games once, in 1924 in Paris, where they lost their only match 1–0 to the United States. For a long time, from 1940 to 1991, Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union. During this time, they could not have their own national football team. After Estonia became independent again in 1991, their first official international match was a 1–1 draw against Slovenia in June 1992.

Estonia has never made it to the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship. However, they came very close in 2011, reaching the play-offs for the Euro 2012 tournament. They also reached the play-offs for Euro 2024.

The team also plays in the Baltic Cup, a championship held every two years between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Estonia has won this tournament five times, most recently in 2024.

Konstantin Vassiljev holds the record for the most international games played for Estonia with 158 appearances. Andres Oper is the top goal scorer with 38 goals.

History of Estonian Football

Early Years (1918–1940)

Football came to Estonia in the early 1900s, brought by English sailors. At that time, Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. The national team was formed after Estonia's War of Independence (1918–1920). Their first game was on October 17, 1920, in Helsinki, Finland, which they lost 6–0. The Estonian Football Association was created in December 1921 and joined FIFA in 1923.

Estonia's only time playing in a major tournament was at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. They lost their only match to the United States by a score of 1–0.

The first Baltic football contest started in 1928, involving Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Estonia won this tournament in 1938. Estonia's first FIFA World Cup qualifying match was on June 11, 1933, against Sweden, which they lost 6–2. This was also the first-ever FIFA World Cup qualifying match in the world!

In the 1938 World Cup qualifiers, Estonia got their first win by beating Finland 1–0. However, they did not qualify for the World Cup. The team's biggest win before World War II was 6–0 against Lithuania in 1928. Their biggest loss was 10–2 to Finland in 1922. Most players came from Tallinn clubs.

On July 18, 1940, Estonia played its last official game as an independent nation for over 50 years, winning 2–1 against Latvia.

During Soviet Occupation (1940–1991)

In 1940, the Soviet Union took over Estonia. Because of this, the national team stopped playing international matches. During the German occupation (1941–1944), the team played a few unofficial friendly games. When the Soviets returned in 1944, many top players were forced to join the army or fled the country.

Football became less popular in Estonia during the 1970s, and it was mostly played by the Russian community living there. However, in the mid-1970s, Roman Ubakivi helped restart Estonian football, forming new training groups. Many players from these groups, like Mart Poom and Martin Reim, later played for the national team.

In 1990, as Estonia worked to regain its independence, an exhibition match was held between Estonian and Latvian footballers. This game remembered their last official match 50 years earlier.

Return to International Football (1991–1996)

Estonia became fully independent again on August 20, 1991. The national team returned to international football in November 1991 in the Baltic tournament in Lithuania. Their first official FIFA-recognized match was a 1–1 friendly draw against Slovenia in Tallinn in June 1992.

At this time, there were discussions about whether players who lived in Estonia but were not Estonian citizens should be allowed to play for the national team. FIFA eventually allowed some non-citizens to represent Estonia.

Estonia decided to join the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament despite money problems and an inexperienced team. They finished last in their group, scoring only one goal and letting in 27. They lost nine games and drew once against Malta.

In the Euro 1996 qualifiers, the team, coached by Roman Ubakivi, also finished without any points. They scored three goals and conceded 31. From October 1993 to October 1996, Estonia did not win a single game for almost three years. By February 1996, their FIFA ranking dropped to 135th place.

First Foreign Coach and Better Results (1996–2000)

Things started to get better when Teitur Thordarson from Iceland became the first foreign coach. His first win was in October 1996, a 1–0 victory over Belarus in a 1998 World Cup qualifier.

A famous incident happened on October 9, 1996, when a match against Scotland had to be rescheduled because the Estonian team did not show up. This was due to a disagreement about the stadium's floodlights. The game was later played in Monaco and ended in a 0–0 draw.

In the Euro 2000 qualifiers, Estonia had a much better performance. They won three games and drew two, scoring 15 goals. They even drew 0–0 at home against Scotland. Although they didn't qualify, they set a new team record with 11 points.

New Stadium and the "Dutch Period" (2000–2007)

After Teitur Thordarson left, Arno Pijpers from the Netherlands became the new coach. In 2000, plans were made to build a new, modern football stadium in Tallinn. The Lilleküla Stadium opened on June 2, 2001, for a World Cup qualifying game against the Netherlands. All 9,300 tickets for the match sold out in just six hours!

In the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Estonia won two games against Andorra and drew twice with Cyprus, earning eight points. They did even better in the Euro 2004 qualifiers, with two wins over Andorra and draws against Croatia and Bulgaria.

The team's most successful qualifying campaign came in the qualifying rounds for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Under Dutch coach Jelle Goes, Estonia won five games, drew two, and lost five, earning 17 points. They finished fourth in their group, ahead of Latvia, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg.

Rüütli Returns and Key Moments (2008–Present)

In November 2007, Tarmo Rüütli became the head coach again. In September 2008, Estonia lost 7–0 to Bosnia, which caused their FIFA ranking to drop to an all-time low of 137th place. However, they later drew 0–0 with Turkey and won 2–0 against Belgium.

The year 2009 was special, marking 100 years of Estonian football. A "Match of the Century" was played against Brazil, who were the top-ranked team in the world. Brazil won 1–0.

Estonia achieved one of its most famous victories on October 8, 2010, winning 3–1 away against Serbia in a Euro 2012 qualifier. Serbia was ranked 15th in the world at the time.

On March 25, 2011, Estonia had another big win, beating Uruguay 2–0 in a friendly match at home. Uruguay had just reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup.

The team's good form continued, and they reached their best-ever FIFA ranking of 58th. They finished their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a win against Northern Ireland. This led them to a play-off against the Republic of Ireland. Estonia lost the first game 0–4 at home but drew 1–1 away. This was Estonia's best Euro qualifying campaign, showing how close they came to reaching a major tournament.

On November 15, 2014, Estonia made history by being the first team to draw 0–0 with San Marino in a European Championship qualifier. On March 28, 2017, Estonia achieved another famous victory, beating Croatia 3–0 at home in a friendly match. In June 2021, Estonia won the Baltic Cup for the fourth time, beating Latvia 2–1. This was their first Baltic Cup win since 1938. They won it again in 2024.

Home Stadium

A. Le Coq Arena - Lilleküla staadion
Lilleküla Stadium, also known as A. Le Coq Arena, has been Estonia's national stadium since 2001.

The Estonian national team plays its home games at the Lilleküla Stadium in Tallinn. This stadium, also known as A. Le Coq Arena, opened in 2001 and can hold about 14,400 people. It is the largest football stadium in Estonia and is also home to the club FC Flora.

Before 2001, Estonia played at the Kadriorg Stadium, which opened in 1926. The Kadriorg Stadium has 5,000 seats and is also used for athletics events.

  • List of Estonia's home grounds through history:
List of Estonia's home grounds through history:
Stadium Location Years
Tiigiveski Ground Tallinn 1921
Kalevi Aed Tallinn 1923–1925
Kadriorg Stadium Tallinn 1926–1940

1992–2000

Lilleküla Stadium Tallinn 2001–present

Estonia has also played friendly matches in other cities like Kohtla-Järve, Kuressaare, Narva, Pärnu, Rakvere, Tartu, Valga, and Viljandi.

Team Look

Kit Colors

The Estonian national team's home kit is usually a blue shirt, black shorts, and white socks. For away games, they wear a white shirt, black shorts, and blue socks. The goalkeeper typically wears a yellow jersey. The kit design changes every two years. Since 1997, Nike has been the team's supplier.

  • Here's how the home kit colors have changed over time:
1922
1924
1992–present

Supporters

The main group of supporters for the Estonian team is called Jalgpallihaigla, which means Football Hospital. This group has over 600 members and helps fans with tickets and represents their interests with the Estonian Football Association. During home games, they are the loudest supporters, cheering from the Southern section of the Lilleküla Stadium.

Many Estonian fans travel to away games. In October 2007, about 2,000 Estonian fans went to Wembley Stadium in England to watch a European Championship qualifier. Tallinn has also seen many visiting fans. In 1938, 2,000 Latvian fans came to the Kadriorg Stadium for a Baltic Cup game. In 2009, 1,700 fans from Bosnia and Herzegovina visited Lilleküla Stadium.

Recent Matches and Schedule

Here are the results of Estonia's matches in the last 12 months and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Coaching Team

  • Here are the current coaching staff members:
Position Name
Head coach Estonia Jürgen Henn
Assistant coach Estonia Joel Indermitte
Netherlands Arno Pijpers
Goalkeeping coach Estonia Mart Poom
Fitness coach Estonia Ilo Rihvk
Video analyst Estonia Ants Jaakson
Doctor Estonia Kaspar Rõivassepp
Physiotherapist Estonia Marius Unt
Estonia Helvis Trääder
Estonia Priit Lehismets
Manager Estonia Miko Pupart

Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the UEFA Nations League matches in November 2024.

The numbers for games played (caps) and goals are updated as of November 19, 2024, after the match against Slovakia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Matvei Igonen (1996-10-02) 2 October 1996 (age 28) 15 0 Bulgaria Botev Plovdiv
12 1GK Karl Jakob Hein (2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 (age 23) 36 0 Spain Real Valladolid
22 1GK Karl Andre Vallner (1998-02-28) 28 February 1998 (age 27) 4 0 Estonia FCI Levadia

2 2DF Erko Jonne Tõugjas (2003-07-05) 5 July 2003 (age 21) 4 0 Estonia Flora
3 2DF Joseph Saliste (1995-04-10) 10 April 1995 (age 30) 4 0 Estonia Paide Linnameeskond
4 2DF Michael Schjønning-Larsen (2001-02-02) 2 February 2001 (age 24) 8 0 Estonia FCI Levadia
6 2DF Rasmus Peetson (1996-05-03) 3 May 1996 (age 29) 19 1 Estonia FCI Levadia
13 2DF Maksim Paskotši (2003-01-19) 19 January 2003 (age 22) 33 0 Switzerland Grasshoppers
16 2DF Joonas Tamm (1992-02-02) 2 February 1992 (age 33) 64 4 Bulgaria Botev Plovdiv
18 2DF Karol Mets (captain) (1993-05-16) 16 May 1993 (age 32) 100 0 Germany FC St. Pauli
19 2DF Michael Lilander (1997-06-20) 20 June 1997 (age 27) 18 0 Estonia Paide Linnameeskond

5 3MF Rocco Robert Shein (2003-07-14) 14 July 2003 (age 21) 16 1 Netherlands FC Dordrecht
8 3MF Danil Kuraksin (2003-04-04) 4 April 2003 (age 22) 4 1 Estonia Flora
9 3MF Ioan Yakovlev (1998-01-19) 19 January 1998 (age 27) 6 1 Estonia FCI Levadia
10 3MF Markus Soomets (2000-03-02) 2 March 2000 (age 25) 15 0 Estonia Flora
11 3MF Kevor Palumets (2002-11-21) 21 November 2002 (age 22) 10 1 Finland HJK
14 3MF Patrik Kristal (2007-11-12) 12 November 2007 (age 17) 3 0 Estonia Paide Linnameeskond
17 3MF Martin Miller (1997-09-25) 25 September 1997 (age 27) 37 2 Republic of Ireland Bohemians
20 3MF Markus Poom (1999-02-27) 27 February 1999 (age 26) 29 0 Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers
21 3MF Martin Vetkal (2004-02-21) 21 February 2004 (age 21) 13 1 Sweden IF Brommapojkarna
23 3MF Vlasiy Sinyavskiy (1996-11-27) 27 November 1996 (age 28) 39 1 Czech Republic Slovácko
3MF Mihkel Ainsalu (1996-03-08) 8 March 1996 (age 29) 21 0 Estonia FCI Levadia

7 4FW Robi Saarma (2001-05-20) 20 May 2001 (age 24) 5 0 Estonia Paide Linnameeskond
15 4FW Alex Matthias Tamm (2001-07-24) 24 July 2001 (age 23) 12 2 Estonia Nõmme Kalju
4FW Henri Anier (1990-12-17) 17 December 1990 (age 34) 99 23 Hong Kong Lee Man
4FW Sergei Zenjov (1989-04-20) 20 April 1989 (age 36) 114 17 Estonia Flora

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called up to the squad in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Kaur Kivila (2003-11-22) 22 November 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Estonia Kuressaare v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
GK Henri Perk (1999-10-14) 14 October 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Estonia Nõmme Kalju v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
GK Evert Grünvald (2001-04-06) 6 April 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Estonia Flora v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024 PRE

DF Märten Kuusk (1996-04-05) 5 April 1996 (age 29) 33 0 Poland GKS Katowice v.  Azerbaijan, 16 November 2024 INJ
DF Artur Pikk (1993-03-05) 5 March 1993 (age 32) 62 1 Poland Odra Opole v.  Sweden, 14 October 2024
DF Edgar Tur (1996-12-28) 28 December 1996 (age 28) 6 1 Estonia FCI Levadia 2024 Baltic Cup
DF Kristo Hussar (2002-06-28) 28 June 2002 (age 22) 4 0 Estonia Flora 2024 Baltic Cup
DF Ken Kallaste (1988-08-31) 31 August 1988 (age 36) 61 0 Estonia FCI Levadia v.  Finland, 26 March 2024
DF Kaspar Laur (2000-04-08) 8 April 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Estonia Tallinna Kalev v.  Finland, 26 March 2024
DF Andreas Vaher (2004-04-15) 15 April 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Estonia Flora v.  Finland, 26 March 2024
DF Ragnar Klavan (1985-10-30) 30 October 1985 (age 39) 130 3 Estonia Tallinna Kalev v.  Poland, 21 March 2024 RET
DF Nikita Baranov (1992-08-19) 19 August 1992 (age 32) 48 0 Estonia Paide Linnameeskond v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
DF Marco Lukka (1996-12-04) 4 December 1996 (age 28) 6 0 Estonia Flora v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
DF Robert Veering (2005-12-01) 1 December 2005 (age 19) 1 0 Estonia Flora v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
DF Georg Pank (2004-03-01) 1 March 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Estonia Tallinna Kalev v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024

MF Mattias Käit (1998-06-29) 29 June 1998 (age 26) 56 8 Romania Rapid București v.  Sweden, 14 October 2024
MF Konstantin Vassiljev (1984-08-16) 16 August 1984 (age 40) 158 26 Estonia Flora v.  Switzerland, 4 June 2024 RET
MF Mark Oliver Roosnupp (1997-05-12) 12 May 1997 (age 28) 10 0 Estonia FCI Levadia v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
MF Nikita Vassiljev (2003-10-07) 7 October 2003 (age 21) 3 0 Slovakia ŠTK Šamorín v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
MF Oskar Hõim (2005-07-01) 1 July 2005 (age 19) 1 0 Estonia Paide Linnameeskond v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
MF Nikita Mihhailov (2002-06-20) 20 June 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Estonia Flora v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024

FW Erik Sorga (1999-07-08) 8 July 1999 (age 25) 31 4 Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City v.  Sweden, 14 October 2024
FW Rauno Sappinen (1996-01-23) 23 January 1996 (age 29) 55 12 Estonia Flora v.  Sweden, 8 September 2024
FW Mark Anders Lepik (2000-09-10) 10 September 2000 (age 24) 10 1 Estonia Flora v.  Slovakia, 5 September 2024 INJ
FW Oliver Jürgens (2003-05-10) 10 May 2003 (age 22) 3 0 Spain Ponferradina v.  Poland, 21 March 2024
FW Frank Liivak (1996-07-07) 7 July 1996 (age 28) 25 3 Estonia FCI Levadia v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
FW Ramol Sillamaa (2004-10-17) 17 October 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Belgium Gent v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024
FW Rauno Alliku (1990-03-02) 2 March 1990 (age 35) 10 0 Estonia Flora v.  Sweden, 12 January 2024 PRE

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue

Player Records

Players in bold are still playing for Estonia.

Most Games Played

Vassiljev
Konstantin Vassiljev has played the most games for Estonia with 158 appearances.
  • These players have played the most games for Estonia:
Rank Player Caps Goals Period
1 Konstantin Vassiljev 158 26 2006–2024
2 Martin Reim 157 14 1992–2009
3 Marko Kristal 143 9 1992–2005
4 Andres Oper 134 38 1995–2014
5 Ragnar Klavan 130 3 2003–2024
6 Enar Jääger 126 0 2002–2017
7 Mart Poom 120 0 1992–2009
8 Dmitri Kruglov 115 4 2004–2019
Kristen Viikmäe 115 15 1997–2013
10 Raio Piiroja 114 8 1998–2015
Sergei Zenjov 114 17 2008–present

Top Goal Scorers

AOper1
Andres Oper is Estonia's top goalscorer with 38 goals.
  • These players have scored the most goals for Estonia:
Rank Player Goals Caps Average Period
1 Andres Oper 38 134 0.28 1995–2014
2 Indrek Zelinski 27 103 0.26 1994–2010
3 Konstantin Vassiljev 26 158 0.16 2006–2024
4 Henri Anier 23 99 0.23 2011–present
5 Eduard Ellmann-Eelma 21 60 0.35 1921–1935
6 Richard Kuremaa 19 42 0.45 1933–1940
7 Sergei Zenjov 17 114 0.15 2008–present
8 Arnold Pihlak 16 44 0.36 1920–1931
9 Kristen Viikmäe 15 115 0.13 1997–2013
10 Martin Reim 14 157 0.09 1992–2009

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Did not enter Did not enter
Italy 1934 Did not qualify 1 0 0 1 2 6
France 1938 3 1 0 2 4 11
Brazil 1950 to Italy 1990 Occupied by Soviet Union Occupied by Soviet Union
United States 1994 Did not qualify 10 0 1 9 1 27
France 1998 10 1 1 8 4 16
South Korea Japan 2002 10 2 2 6 10 26
Germany 2006 12 5 2 5 16 17
South Africa 2010 10 2 2 6 9 24
Brazil 2014 10 2 1 7 6 20
Russia 2018 10 3 2 5 13 19
Qatar 2022 8 1 1 6 9 21
Canada United States Mexico 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/11 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 17 12 55 74 187

Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shoot-out.

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 to West Germany 1988 Occupied by Soviet Union Occupied by Soviet Union
Sweden 1992 Did not enter Did not enter
England 1996 Did not qualify 10 0 0 10 3 31
Belgium Netherlands 2000 10 3 2 5 15 17
Portugal 2004 8 2 2 4 4 6
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 2 1 9 5 21
Poland Ukraine 2012 12 5 2 5 16 19
France 2016 10 3 1 6 4 9
Europe 2020 8 0 1 7 2 26
Germany 2024 9 0 1 8 3 27
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total 0/16 0 0 0 0 0 0 79 15 10 54 52 156

Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shoot-out.

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
Season League Group Pos Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK
2018–19 C 2 4th 6 1 1 4 4 8 Same position 37th
2020–21 C 2 4th 8 0 4 4 5 11 Fall 47th
2022–23 D 2 1st 4 4 0 0 10 2 Rise 49th
2024–25 C 1 3rd 6 1 1 4 3 9 Same position 44th
Total 4/4 24 6 6 12 22 30

Olympic Games

Estonia1924
Estonia national team at the 1924 Summer Olympics

Estonia's only time playing in a major tournament was at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Coached by Hungarian Ferenc Kónya, Estonia played only one match in the first round. They lost 0–1 to the United States. The winning goal was scored from a penalty kick in the 15th minute. Estonia also got a penalty kick to tie the game, but their shot hit the crossbar. After leaving the tournament, the Estonian team stayed in Paris for three weeks, playing friendly matches.

Baltic Cup

Important Milestones

  • First World Cup qualification game: June 11, 1933, in Stockholm, against Sweden (a 6–2 loss). This was also the first FIFA World Cup qualification match ever!
  • First World Cup victory and first away win: August 19, 1937, in Turku, against Finland (a 1–0 win).
  • First European Championship qualifying game: September 4, 1994, in Tallinn, against Croatia (a 2–0 loss).
  • First World Cup victory since Estonia became independent again: October 5, 1996, in Tallinn, against Belarus (a 1–0 win).
  • First European Championship victory: June 4, 1998, in Tallinn, against Faroe Islands (a 5–0 win).
  • First away win in the European Championship: March 31, 1999, in Vilnius, against Lithuania (a 2–1 win).

Achievements

Regional Titles

  • Baltic Cup
    • Champions (5): 1929, 1931, 1938, 2020, 2024
    • Runners-up (6)
    • Third place (16)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Estonia para niños

  • Estonia women's national football team
  • Estonia national under-23 football team
  • Estonia national under-21 football team
  • Estonia national under-19 football team
  • Estonia national under-17 football team
  • Estonia national youth football team
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